Volvo’s demo fleet of 100 C30 EVs, which is now being evaluated by European leasing customers, will be upgraded this summer with a new, more powerful motor from Siemens and a new on-board charger from BRUSA.

The new Siemens motor has a peak power output of 89 kW (120 hp), torque of 250 Nm, and acceleration of 0-70 km/h in 5.9 seconds, according to Volvo.

Volvo and Siemens formed a strategic partnership in 2011 to develop electrified cars. Siemens supplies powertrain components for the forthcoming Scalable Product Architecture platform, which Volvo says will enable “electrification at all levels, from different kinds of hybrids to pure electric drive, without intruding on interior or load space.”

The new 22 kW on-board charger, which Swiss firm BRUSA introduced last September uses a three-phase electrical supply, an innovation that Volvo says reduces charge time to 1.5 hours, compared with 8-10 hours using an ordinary single-phase 230 V household outlet.

“Adding the innovative fast charging solution will radically improve the time and mileage for the daily usage of the car. This will drastically improve the cost of ownership since the customer will now be able to drive many low-cost kilometers per day. A quick 10-minute plug-in adds power for another 20 kilometers of driving,” said Lennart Stegland, Volvo’s VP of Electric Propulsion Systems. “By offering more usable hours a day, we’ve taken an important step towards making electric cars more viable as a commercial proposition, in both the private and public sectors.”

Source: Volvo